Nov 1st Register tested and found correct. R Sturdy. Attendance lower again towards the end of the week partly owing to sickness (2 cases) Examined school in all subjects. More improvement in arithmetic in all classes except St IV. Spelling still weak.

4th Received form 17 A (V3) from Mr Farrer. It contains the following particulars regarding the Aid Grant received for the current year.

Amount of Grant £25.

Purposes for which it is made:

A. Teaching power. To maintain the present charge for salaries £6

B. Equipment New flooring (cost £10) £9

New desks & apparatus (cost 12) £6

Sets of new readers £4

8th A more regular attendance especially in the first class. Two parents fined at Easingwold magistrates (North & Horner) for keeping children away last month. Maggie Appleby away ill all week. Work proceeded as usual according to T. Tables.

12&13th Two terribly stormy days. But all children present except for 4 infants.

15th Attendance fallen considerably during the last two days. Work proceeded as usual, but would be even more satisfactory if I had a teacher (a mistress even) for Infants.

29th Av attendance 30.6 Admitted W. Norman on Friday morning, but family removed back to Leeds the following day. Work as usual 1st class attendance & work much improved. Infants also making progress.

Dec 2nd A grand meet at village this am. School opened & registers marked, but managers recommended that the children should see the start. Therefore this morning’s attendances all cancelled in registers.

6th Visit E H Howard. Attendance for the week 30.8. A slight increase on last week.

10th Av att for week 33.1. This is an improvement. Work re-commenced and got nicely on the way again. Children seem on good form. Admitted a new boy, John Fieldhouse, from Marton. Not definitely sure he will be here after March. Staying with an Aunt.

17th Another week’s work satisfactorily completed. Av att 32.9. Early part of week bitter cold.

Feb 11th Half holiday. Shrove Tuesday.

Drawing Group 1 freehand scale. Geometry

Group2 freehand and ruler copies

Physical training (both groups in 1) schedule iii new code.

Singing Sol-fa grades I, II & III (one group)

Reading from primers & reading sheets. Alphabet.

Writing Capital & small letters. Words of one syllable. Elements of letters.

14th Av att 31.5. An improvement of 3 on last week. Received new geog readers ( Brit Isles) Palmeston Readers, Arithmetic & other material from Storys.

20th & 21st school closed for two days due to entertainment. Av att 31.5 as last week.

24th 32 present in am 34 pm. Mrs Sturdy kindly sent oranges for the children in the afternoon.

28th Received new Di Bands. Av better this week 32.2. Children now fairly settled down to work. Sci lessons on water in 3 states. Infants making progress in reading & writing. K. Harkner away ill with sore feet. C Burnett also under Doctor. Readmitted Fred Waites on Feb 26th from Sutton National.

Report for the year ending 31st Jan 1902.

‘The present teacher has effected improvement in both the order and attainment. He has had much to do and it is to his credit that the school is now in a fair state of efficiency. The stove pipe is unsatisfactory.’

I am to request the manager to state whether the sum of £27.12.8. on page 3 of form 9 was expended on account of repairs to buildings or rent of school buildings.

Mr Stafford will receive his certificate in due course. Signed John Farrer Date March 1st

Mar 7th Av att for week 31.5, rather lower owing to J North and M Horner being ill. & M A Thornton away from home. Elem Sci Lessons on water and air. Other subjects satisfactory. Readmitted F Waite from Sutton.

14th An improved average 34.5. The best for a long time. Elem Sci lessons on atmosphere and slate. Isabella North away ill all week.

17th Att up to 37. 18th Record 39. One of our infants been admitted to the other school contrary to agreement (Peter Darley). Wrote to Mr Bennett about it.

21st A week of lovely weather. Av att 35.9. Flossie Ellis ill for 3 days. P Darley not sent back yet from other school. Satisfactory progress in all subjects. Elem sci lessons on 'Coal' and 'Slate'.

27th Av att 30.3, a decrease of nearly 6 points. This is partly owing to several cases of sickness. ( L Appleby and F Denton absent all week. G Ellis & F Ellis 2 days. C Suffell and F Hawkswell absent greater part of the week (5 & 4 days respectively) without an excuse.) Special attention given to writing & spelling. Standard 1 very weak. Closed on Thursday until Wednesday morning for Easter Holidays. Peter Darley still attending Church School contrary to agreement, therefore agreement nullified from present date March 27th.

(PS Agreement was to the effect that children should not be taken from one school by the other, with the exception of a number of Wesleyan Scholars who left during 1899-1900)

13th Av att 36.7. The decrease owing to severe weather. Several children being ill with colds. L. A. North absent all week no excuse.

19th Record att. 44 present out of 45. Av att 41.1, the highest for over a year. Elem Sci Lessons on leaves. Ordinary work proceeding satisfactorily.

24th Closed for Coronation Holiday. 3 Days.

July 4th Av att for week 35.5, the lowest this quarter. H Burnett - turnip hoeing. 3 of Ellis’s away 3 days. Lily Ann North absent all week.(14 this month) Elem Sci lessons on Duck & a Flower. Other work proceeding as usual per Time Table.

7th Admitted Lily Brown (5) not been to school before. New copy Bks, cut out paper etc ordered.

11th Av att for week 37. Lily Ann North left (age 14) Elem Sci lessons on a buttercup (flower) and life of a frog. Infants O L on the cat. St IV commenced proportion V div of fractions. Other work as usual.

Aug 1st Registers closed at 1 today. Children left just after 3. Work carried on as usual according to TT. Martha Horner 14 on Thursday. Left to go into service. Clara Suffill also 14 on 2nd Aug. Wkly Av Att 36.2.

27th Drawing & sewing not taken this pm. Word bdg and writing substituted.

28th Closed for holidays - 4 weeks. Aw wkly att 39.5

September 29th Reopened school this morning. Only 31 present. The school has been well dusted and cleaned during the holidays. Form 17A

25th Aug 1902

Total Grant Aid £28

Purposes for which it is made:

Teaching power To maintain the present charge for salaries £18

Equipment (Art 90 of code) Repairs to floors & stoves £5

Apparatus Desks & maps £5

The Bd of Education will require to be satisfied the Aid Grant has been expended on the purposes here specified. It is understood that the grant is made in respect of the current financial year only.

Oct 1st Holiday in the afternoon. Mr Sturdy’s sale.

2nd Mr Dale (attendance officer) called. Gave him names of several children absent all week. (2 or 3 working)

3rd Av wkly att only 33 8 children never been present viz Isabella North, Percy Dight, Tom Horner (all working) and 3 infants. John Fieldhouse from Marton gone home to his mother’s and Clara Suffell left (14)

17th Friday closed registers at 1. Let children go at 5 past 3. Av Att 38.3. Several children absent all week. A very wet week taken altogether.

24th Att very low again this week. Av only 34.8 as against 38.3. Sent off attendances to Easingwold for meeting today. Seth Fieldhouse gone back to Pocklington. Several boys potato picking - P. Dight, Delma Spruce, Lawrence North. Part of week. G. Ellis & L. North ill.

31st Attendance very low again this week. Arthur North, Lawrence North, Percy Dight, Harry Burnett, Flossie Ellis have all been working part of this week.( H. Burnett ½ a day) Isabella North, Lilian Appleby, Maggie Harkner, Kate Harkner, Harry North all absent ill. Av for week 34.4. On roll 46.

Nov 3 & 4th School closed due to teacher’s illness (2 days)

7th Av wkly att 35.3 (a slight increase) Lil Appleby absent all week (away from home) Mag Harkner absent all week (mother ill) Teacher not been at all well during the week, but a good 3 days work done on all subjects. Could get on much better if I had an assistant of some kind for the younger children. Hope to have one next year. (Mr Bennett, the C E Teacher, died on 4th November)

14th Held quarterly examination today. Satisfactory results obtained in all subjects except arithmetic which continues to improve, but only slowly. Writing especially good throughout. 14th Av weekly att 39.6 an improvement of 4.5 on last week. Still room for improvement though. 32 children obtained weekly certificates this week for never being absent.

18th Holiday in afternoon.

21st Av wkly at 37.7, which is 1.9 points lower than last week. Admitted Tom Brown, 13, Std IV from Crayke C E school on Monday am. The bitterly cold weather prevalent during greater part of this week is accountable to a certain extent for decreased attendance.

26th Admitted Florence & Anice Wilkinson aged 4 (Twins)

28th Av att for week 39.7. Very real November weather during the week, wet, foggy and dark ( by about half past 3).

Dec 1st Morning only 34 present Afternoon 32

2nd Morning only 33 present afternoon 30

3rd Morning only 30 present afternoon 32

4th Morning only 30 present afternoon 29

5th Morning only 32 present afternoon 33 I have entered the above owing to the greater decrease in attendance. This has been caused by sickness amongst the children. The av for week is only 31.5 against 39.7 last week.

Dec 3rd Fred Waite left. Removed to Helmsley.

12th A much better av, esp among boys. For week 37.3. Several girls ill this week, who were at school last week.

WE 6th Feb Av Att 36.5. Infants very low. New time tables received on Thursday morning. 9th New slates, ex books, chalk arrived. W. Mattison taken off register. Attending other school.

13th Av Att 36.3. Sickness chief cause of decrease.

16th Received Mr Dougall’s Arithmetic for Standards III. IV. V. VI. With answers. Also memory maps of Spain, France & Italy. I had sent in an order to the Committee for their meeting on Friday 6th for new reading books as follows Graphic Geographies for stds I. II. III. 1 doz each. “ “ for std V (Europe) 18 Palmerston Readers no IV 18 copies. & material for brush drawing. Although urgently needed for the new syllabus of work the ordering of them was deferred. Hence I cannot proceed satisfactorily with new work.

20th Av Att for week 37.7, an increase.

24th Shrove Tuesday; half-day holiday.

27th Av Att for week only 32.6. The decrease is mainly due to the cold, wet, windy weather which has prevailed during the week. Today has been the worst. Slates from the chapel roof falling and being a positive danger in girls’ yard.

6th Av Att for week = 35.2. Registers closed at 1 this afternoon. Children leave at 3:10 pm. Many infants absent this week. Report due, but for IX returned on Feb 27th for correction.

11th Closed for the day. Furniture sent away.

13th Finish my connection with the school this afternoon, as Head Teacher. I have had 2 ¼ years of very hard and incessant work here, but feel amply repaid by the results obtained (as evidenced by the Government Report received only today) Notwithstanding the circumstances attending the severance of my connection with this school I go away with the satisfactory consciousness that I have done my duty in the school for the best interests of both scholars & managers.

13th Av Att for week 38. Albert Stafford, certified Teacher (2nd Div)

Copy of His Majesty’s Inspector’s Report. For year ending January 31st 1903.

“ The Master has done much good work here and the higher grant can now be recommended. The equipment should be improved. There is no suitable Teacher’s desk, nor needlework table, and additional good sized cupboard is required”

Signed - John Farrer.

16th March. Commenced my duties this morning as master. W J Bell.

20th This week av att 37. Working newly drafted timetable of my own.

23rd Miss Effie Hawkswell commenced duties as sewing Teacher.

27th Av 37. Marked 3 left - 1 over age and 2 left village.

April 4th. Av 40

9th closed this afternoon for Easter Holiday until April 20th Time extended of our Day School Bazaar & my removing.

20th Reopened this morning - Kitty Appleby returned to school, but she is over 15, I cannot mark her attendance.

May 8th entry struck out

13th Att very low this pm - 30. Officer has never been yet.

29th Royal Oak Day - only 29 children this am. No school this aft, Holiday (Whitsuntide) until June 8th.

June 8th Reopened this mrg. Gave out ‘excellent’ certificates for May.

17th Joseph Lumley, Manager - registers.

24th No school this aft in order that I might attend quarterly meeting.

July 2nd Work as whole is satisfactory. Last month’s results show up fairly well. Yesterday was the ‘appointed day’.*

9th Continual knocking in next yard: shed-building. Time table came back. Attendance officer paid first visit.

18th Last evg I had first visit from new C.C. att officer - attendance lower since holidays.

25th received another parcel.

26th Wrote secretary (Northallerton) acknowledging goods and saying others had not yet arrived. Sent in monthly att. Returns.

Oct 2nd Rcd answer from Northallerton: urgent note been sent - I may record that there is a serious delay in the supply. Yest att off visited school & spoke to the children.

12th commenced fires.

16th put aft plays for Tues, Thurs & Fri between the last two lessons instead of former two.

21st Readmt 1.

22nd Att Off here.

30th School is in fair condition after stringent exam.

Nov 5th Major Richardson - infant- injured on the face & forehead by a stone thrown by a stranger lad. Addressed children on subject. Another portion of the goods arrived yest. Had an interim order sent a little while ago. Remainder arrived 12th.

13th Changed sewing the wk to today at Miss Hawkswell’s request, but she did not come - away from home.

16th Had visit from Mr Mennell, of NREC, concerning desk.

24th Att Off here - Have lost three bright children by removal from village.

29th Have established a marks list by which to gauge each child’s progress.

Mar 7th Att Off called.

10th HM report

“ The condition of the school has deteriorated since last year. Arithmetic in particular is weak and loose order during lessons displayed in some classes. General efficiency must considerably improve if the higher grant is again recommended. The boy’s playground is very muddy in wet weather, and an improper urinal provided. The school floor also needs repairing.”

So much for a hard effort at working out another man’s scheme & with attendance to boot, & goods delayed.

16th No sch this aft. Children’s tea at 4:30, & a very successful concert this evg.

17th No sch today.

24th Half std V this mrg.

25th Months % av attendance 92. Bks 34. Att 33.5. Av 31.4.

31st Sch closed tomorrow & Monday. Good Friday & Easter Monday.

April 5th Reopened sch.

11th att off her. Readmt 2 infants - but turns out one only visits village - so only 1 readmt.

14th Att off here on M. During W mrg playtime a boy threw a firelight & ignited a neighbouring haystack. I congregated children in the vestry. Feared for some time that the bottom end of the schoolroom would catch, but happily by hasty exertions of people around the fire was overcome without damage to the schoolroom. Time lost from lessons between 11 & 12 - the Easingwold Fire Brigade came, but had difficulty in getting the right connection. This wk av 39.1.

21st Mr Souter (manager) providing wagon & man I took some children to a wild beast show at Easingwold. Sch closed. Av wk 40.5. Have made some alterations to the time table this wk in view of a new one.

Feb 3rd Mr Lumley had signed registers this wk. New school year started on W. Returned to 1;30 on W.

9th Mr Sm??rs att off for Northallerton & local off visited.

22nd Mrs Douglas Smith called.

24th Att returns reg 40, att 36.75. Av 34.66. % 86.65 Open 36.

Mar 2nd Att off called.

7th Shrove Tuesday. Aft holiday.

17th The ½hr lessons from 1-3 on Tu, Thur and F inconvenient in practice I have altered them to 3/4 hr lessons, without altering the total time given to each subject.+ Am arranging the Annual Entertainment on Thurs evg March 30th.

+ back again Ap 18th

Copy of HM’s recent report :

“ Mixed & Infants - The master works in a painstaking manner and appears to be doing his best to improve the condition of the school. In recognition of these efforts the higher grant is again recommended though not without hesitation. The arithmetic in the lower standards if poor and the older children do not know their geography well. The Infants should be under better control; at present they are apt to fall into disorder when left, thus distracting to some extent the work of the older scholars”

20th Att off here.

31st Very successful concert last evg: not held sch this mrng as the room needed setting right - got to work this aft. Att returns reg 39.2. att 37.4 av 35.27 % 89.97 open 48.

April 7th Att off here on W - snow affected att today.

14th adm 4 children (Pickering) on M. Att low today.

20th Closed sch after this afts work until Mon May 1st for Easter Holiday.

26th Att returns Reg 42.33. Att 40.66 AV 37.07 % 87.57 open 28.

May 3rd Att Off Called.

8th readm Enid Ripley after being away from home - sick.

15th Admitd 5. Pickerings gone to a nearer sch - living so far out in fields.

19th School photograph.

26th att returns 1. 41.75 2. 39.5 3. 34.95 % 83.73 open 40.

29th Miss H off - sister came.

30th Att off here.

June 9th Much sickness about. Only 24 (40) present this mrg. Closed sch this aft for Whitsun Holidays.

19th Reopened. Att better.

21st Att officer called.

23rd Attendance dropped again during wk.

28th Att officer called twice.

30th Attendance has very seriously dropped this wk (sickness) In addition I have lost a family of 6 who have left the village. Month’s returns 1. 39 2. 34.5 3. 29.17 % 74.79 Open 40.

Oct 15th Att Off her on 3 & 8. On Oct 3 Miss H absent - sent sick note wh I forwarded to correspondent. The Wilkinson twins returned to Manchester. Last M commenced the system of individual bags for books etc. First fire this mrg.

23rd Att Off here today.

26th Returns: 27.75. 27.25. 23.57. 84.95% 20/20/40. 5/ix/06 J W Bell.

Nov 7th There appears to some sickness breaking out.

9th Take ½ hours (crayons etc) 7 afts for av exams - The whole of std III (4) absent all day; its att has been 13/40 for this wk. All standards 96/150. Stds & Infants during last 3 quarters - 305 mtgs, 2 came 304 times, 1-302, 1-296, 1-293, 1-292, 1-291: all rest less. The children now in the stds had 540 absences during the last 9 mnths, averaging 36 each = 3 3/5 wh besides holidays for each child. After preparing each days work at home, often I have come prepared with (amongst others) a special arith lesson for a particular std to be disappointed by absentees, & sometimes a whole std as per today. Foxhounds & other frivolous excuses are given.

‘ The children on the whole should be more attentive & should make greater effort to do their work properly. Arithmetic is poor throughout: a decided improvement in this subject will be expected during the coming year’

12th Have lately paid very special attention to arith. Absences interfered.

26th Returns 30.5. 29.5. 24.5. 80.32% 20/20/40. On the whole during my tenure here attendance had only been moderate- whole standards many times being absent, & that when I especially wanted them in Arithmatic.

Aug 1 & 6 Att o here this wk. Returns for Aug 31.29.21.5. 35% 4/4/8

September 9th School reopened this morning I take temporary charge. A Brooks (N. R. Supply Teacher)

School attendance officer called two or three names of children who have left been taken off the registers

13th attendance infants 66.6% older children 93.3%

17th Girls took sewing this afternoon instead of Wednesday - Miss Hawkswell wishing to be away.

18th Registers closed at 1:20 today - Easingwold Show.

23rd School Attendance Officer called.

30th Average Attendance for month = 20.83 percentage 89.23.

Oct 15th The children have a holiday tomorrow. The schoolroom being required for a teas etc in connection with the Harvest Thanksgiving Services of the Wesleyan Church.

The new council school is to be declared open tomorrow, Wednesday, by Colonel Legard, CB, the Chairman of the North Riding Education Committee. It will be open for the reception of scholars on Thursday morning the 17th inst.

All the books & class summary & admission registers, together with part of the stock have been removed today to the new school. The school furniture and the greater part of the stock is left here for the present. I have made a rough inventory, and enclose it in the stock & stores book.

I terminate my temporary engagement at this school today. Alfred Brooks.